whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
vses this same similitude Iohn 15. And in it we haue these things to consider First who is the stock or root secondly who are the grafts or branches ingrafted thirdly what is the manner of the ingrafting fourthly some comforts and instructions arising hereof The root or stocke whereinto this ingrafting is made is Iesus Christ called by himselfe the true Vine by the Apostles 1 The stocke or roote Iohn 15. 1. Rom. 11. 17. Isaiah 11. 1. the true Oliue by the Prophets the roote of Iesse and the righteous branch this roote that great husbandman the eternall God prepared to be as a stocke of life wherein he ingrafts all of Adams lost posteritie whom he hath concluded to saue to the praise and glory of his mercie After that in the fulnes of time God had sent him into the world clad with our nature and he had done the work for which he came the Lord laid him in the graue and as it were set him in the graue but at once like a liuely roote he sprang vp and rested not till his branches spred to the vttermost ends of the earth and till his top mounted vp vnto heauen for there now he sits and raignes in life who before was humbled to death The branches or graftes ingrafted in him are of two 2 The branches whereof some are only externally ingrafted these may be cut off Rom. 11. 22. sorts first all the members of the Church visible who by externall Baptisme are entred to a profession of Christ baptised with water but not with the holy Ghost this kinde of ingrafting will suffer a cutting off if thou continue not in his bountifulnesse thou shalt also be cut off For they haue not the sap of grace ministred to them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees hauing leaues without fruit they haue 2. Tim. 3 5. a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof These are no better then Esau who lay in the same wombe with Iacob borne and brought vp in the same Family of Isaac which was the Church of God marked also with the same sacrament of Circumcision Nam sicut ille ex legittima mater natus gratiam superbe spreuit reprobatus est ita qui in Aug. de bap cont Donatist lib. 10. cap. 10. vera Ecclesia baptizantur gratiam Deâ— non amplectuntur cum Esauo reijciuntur For as hee being borne of a lawfull Mother proudely despised Grace and was cast off so they who are baptised into the true Church of God and embrace not the grace of God shall be reiected with Esau neyther shall it auaile them that by an externall kinde of ingrafting they haue beene adioyned to the fellowship of the visible Church The other sort are they who beside the outward ingrafting Others internally ingrafted and to these belongs this comfort whereof we haue spoken are also inwardly grafted by the holy Ghost in Iesus Christ in such sort that Christ is in them and they in Christ and can say with the Apostle Now I liue yet not I any more but Christ Iesus liueth in me these haue in them that same minde which was in Iesus the Gal. 2. 20. onely sure argument of our spirituall vnion with him for if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and they who are quickned and ruled by his spirit are assuredly his As for the manner of the ingrafting it is spiritual wrought 3 The manner of the ingrafting it is made by the word spirit by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our heart by hearing of the Gospell makes vs to goe out of our selues transire in Christum so to relie vpon him that by his light we are illuminated by his spirit we are quickned by the continuall furniture of his grace we perseuere and increase in spirituall strength in a word so we liue that in our selues we dye Euery lampe of the golden candlesticke hath his Zach. 4. owne pipe through which these two oliues that stand with the ruler of the whole world emptie themselues into the gold that is euery member of the Church of Christ receiues grace from that fulnesse of Grace which is in him through the secret conduits of the spirit whereby he causeth vs to grow and preserueth our soules in life Though he be in heauen and we on earth no distance Distance of place staies not our vnion with him of place can stay this vnion for seeing the members of the body howsoeuer scattered through sundry parts of the world so farre that many of them haue neuer seene others in the face are notwithstanding knit together by the band of one spirit into one holy communion why should it be denyed but that the head and members of this mysticall body are also one by the same Spirit suppose the head be in heauen and the members on earth or what need is there to enforce for effecting of this vnion such a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament as cannot stand with the truth of Gods word Now the comforts that ariseth vnto vs of our communion 4 Comforts arising of this our vnion with Christ with Christ are exceeding great for first we haue with him a communion of natures he hath taken vpon him ours and hath communicated his nature vnto vs. Of the first after a sort all mankind may glory forasmuch as Christ tooke not on the nature of Angels but the nature 1 Communion of Natures of man yet if there be no more the comfort is small yea the condemnation of man is the greater that the Lord Iesus came vnto man in mans nature and man would not receiue him But as for the godly let them reioyce in this that the Lord Iesus hath not onely assumed our nature but also made vs pertakers of the diuine nature before he assumed 2. Pet. 1 4. our nature he sanctified it and now hauing by his owne spirit ioyned vs to himselfe we may be out of doubt hee shall not cease till he hath sanctified vs. It is a notable comfort that the worke of our perfect A notable comfort the Lord who sanctified our nature that he might assume it will also sanctifie vs seeing he hath vnited vs to himselfe Phil. 1. 6. sanctification is not left vnto vs to doe the Lord Iesus hath taken it into his owne hand to performe it what then shall hinder it I am perswaded that he who hath begunne this good worke in you will performe it against the day of Iesus Christ He who at his pleasure turned water into Wine he who made the bitter waters to become sweete he who makes the wildernesse a fruitfull land and the barren woman to become the mother of many children in a word he who calles things which are not and causeth them to be is hee notable to make sinners become Saints or shall hee not perfect that worke of the new creation
hath begunne this good worke in vs will performe it vntill the day of Christ As the Angell who deliuered Peter out of prison appeared to him with a shining light in the darke prison smote him vpon his side and wakened him out of his sleepe made his chaines to fall from him and caused him to arise and follow him went still before him to leade him in the way through all impediments and departed not from him till he had entred him within the Cittie of Ierusalem so the spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath once come downe vpon vs in this prison and hath lightned our darknesse wakened vs out of our dead securitie and loosed the chaines of our sinnes wherewith we were bond shall abide continually with vs gouerning vs with his light and truth till he haue entred vs within the portes of heauenly Ierusalem Blessed be the Lord where before we were the captiues of sinne now the course of the battell is changed sinne is become our captiue through Christ it remaineth in vs not as a commander but as a captiue of the Lord Iesus it is true the boltes of sinne are yet vpon our hands and feet to admonish vs of our former miserable thraldome we draw as yet the chaines of sinne after vs which makes vs indeede goe forward the more slowly but are not able to detaine vs in that bondage wherein we lay before And as concerning our deliuerance from death wee are How we are deliuered from death both first and second to know that death is two-fold the first and second the first is a separation of the soule from the body the second is a separation of them both from the Lord. Mors prima Aug. de ciuit dei li. 21. ca. 3 pellit animam nolentem de corpore mors secunda detinet animam nolentem in corpore The first death expels the soule against the will out of the body the second death compels the soule against the will to abide in the body for vnto the greater augmentation of their paine as they were companions of sinne so shall they be compelled to abide companions of punishment This second death hath three degrees the first is when Second death hath three degrees the soule by sinne is separated from the Lord the second is when the body by the power of that curse due to sinne is turned into dust and the soule is sent to hell the third is when both soule and body being ioyned together againe in the resurrection shall be banished from the presence of the Lord and cast into vtter darknesse And it is called the second death because it is executed vpon the wicked after their first death otherwise the first death that euer came into the world was the first degree of the second death Mors Aug. de verb. Apost ser 33. animae praecessit anima deserente Deum mors corporis sequâ—ta est anima deserente corpus deseruit Deum volens anima coacta est deserere corpus nolens the death of the soule went before the soule departing from God and the death of the body followed the soule departing from the body How Christians are exercised with terrors of conscience which in the owne nature are forerunners of the second death the soule departed from God willingly therefore is compelled vnwillingly to depart out of the body Now from both these deaths wee are deliuered by the Lord Iesus for our soules being freed from sinne are reconciled with God and so exempted from that wrath which is to come For albeit the deere children of God be sometime exercised with inward terrours of conscience which in their owne nature are fore-runners of these paynes prepared for the wicked and are as the smoake of that fire which afterward shall torment them yet vnto the godly their nature is changed they are sent vnto them not to seperate them from the Lord but to draw their hearts neerer vnto him and to worke in them a greater conformity with Christ And as for the first death wee are so deliuered from it The nature of the first death changed to the Christian that albeit in the owne nature it be the Centre of all miseries and a fearefull effect of Gods curse on man for sinne yet to the godly the nature thereof is also changed so that now it is not the death of the man but the death of sinne Amb. de bono mort cap. 4. in the man mors est scpultura vltiorum death saith Ambroâ— is the buriall of all vices As the worme which is bred in the tree saith Chrisostome doth at last consume it so death which is brought out by sin doth at the length consume and destroy sinne in the children of God Finally death is the progresse and accomplishment of the full mortification of all our earthly members wherein that filthie fluxe of sinne is dryed vp at an instant It is a voluntarie sacrificing of the whole man soule and body to the Lord the greatest and highest seruice wee can doe to him in the earth for where in the course of our life we are continually fighting against our inordinate lusts and affections to bring them in subiection to Christ by death as it were with one stroke they are all smitten and slaine and the soule is offered vp to God in a sacrifice of full and perfect obedience Verse 3. For that that was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinfull â—â—â—sh and that for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh THE Apostle hauing set downe in the first 3 Explication of the confirmation Here followes an explication of the confirmation of his generall proposition Verse a Proposition of Comfort belonging to them who are in Christ and confirmed it in the second he proceedeth now to the explication of the Confirmation declaring how it is that Christ hath freed vs from the law of sinne and first he shewes how Christ hath freed vs from the condemning power of sinne in this verse namely that he taking vpon him our nature and therewithall the burden of our sinnes hath condemned sin 1 He shewes how we are freed from the condemning power of sinne The law could not saue vs. in his blessed body and so disanulled it that it hath no power to condemne vs. And this benefit he amplifies shewing that by no other meanes we could obtaine it for where without Christ there is but one way for men to come to life namely the obseruance of the law he lets vs see it was impossible for the law to saue vs and least it should seeme that he blamed the law he subioynes that this impotencie of the Law to saue vs proceedes from our selues because that wee through fleshly corruption which is in vs cannot fulfill that righteousnesse which the law requires This impotencie of the Law appeareth by these two Impotencie of the
own son Sonne to distinguish him from all others who are his sonnes by adoption onely Christ is the Sonne of God by nature by that diuine inutterable generation whereof Esay saith Who can expresse it Thus is hee Gods owne sonne that is Esay coeternall and coessentiall begotten of the Father before all time by the full communication of his whole essence vnto him in a manner that cannot be expressed And in the fulnesse of time he became man God being manifested in the flesh and in regard of his humane nature which was conceiued of the holy Ghost and vnited in a personall vnion with his diuine he stands in the title of Gods owne sonne after so singular a manner that he admits no companion The last of these two the Apostle makes the first point Christs diuine generation a great mysterie 1. Tim. 3. 16. of the misterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh wherein he bridles our curiositie for if his manifestation in the flesh that is his incarnation be a mysterie that goes beyond our vnderstanding what shall we say of his diuine generation a mysterie to be indeed adored not to be enquired an article proposed to be belieued not to be disputed The Arrians seeking to search out this vnsearchable mysterie with naturall reason by infinite degrees more foolish then if they had presumed to number the starres of heauen or measure with their fist all the waters in the Sea they stumbled Mans curiosity restrained from searching it and fell being neuer able to comprehend how the son that was begotten should be coeternall and coessentiall to the Father who begot him therefore the worthy Fathers of the primitiue Church to represse the presumption of these arrogant spirits drew them down from the dangerous speculation of these high mysteries farre aboue their capacitie to consideration of things which are in nature Si in Creatura genitum inueniri potest coaeuum genitori an non aequum August est concedas posse ista in creatore coaeterna inueniri if in things created that which is begotten may be found equall in time to that which begat it why should it be denyed that in the Creator the begetter and begotten are equall in eternitie When a candle saith Augustine is first lighted at once there are two things the fire the splendor or light if it be enquired whether the fire come from the light or the light from the fire all men will agree that the splendor or light comes from the fire but if againe it be demanded which of them is first or last in time it cannot be determined But wherefore shall we vse these similitudes as the Creator is aboue the creature so is that mysterie aboue all the secrets of nature no similitude can be found in nature so much as shadow that most high and supernaturall mysterie yet is the endeuor of these godly fathers commendable who haue laboured to bring downe men to the exercising of their wits in things which are below like vnto themselues leauing curious inquisition of higher secrets which as I haue said are to be receiued with faith reuerenced with Rom 11. 20. silence not searched out by curiositie O man be not high minded but feare Christ came like a sinfull man but without sinne In the similitude of sinnefull flesh We must not so vnderstand these words as if Iesus had onely the similitude of a naturall bodie no he was very man made of the seed of Dauid he hath taken our flesh indeed yet was he not a sinfull man but separated from sinners A holy One from the first moment of his conception conceiued of the holy Ghost A stone cut out of the mountaine without hands The Dan. 2. 45. Cant. Flower of the field that groweth without mans labour or industry 1. Cor. 15. The second Adam very man as was the first but not begotten of man So then the word similitude is not to be ioyned with the word Flesh but with the word sinfull He tooke on mans nature without sin yet subiect to those infirmities mortalitie and death which sin brought vpon vs he appeared like a sinfull man being indeed without sinne in the shape of a Seruant content to be made inferiour not onely to Angels but to men of the vilest sort sold for thirtie pieces of siluer not so worthie to liue as Barrabas ranked with Theeues on the Crosse and reputed as a Worme of the earth thus being voyde of all sinne yet was hee handled as a sinner and most wicked malefactor Wherein we are to consider so farre as we may though How deerely the Lord loued vs perceiue by the price he hath giuen for our ransome we cannot comprehend it that wonderfull loue which the Lord hath shewed vs in this worke of our saluation how deere and precious our life hath beene in his eyes perceiue by the greatnesse of that price which he hath giuen for vs for who will giue much for that whereof hee esteemes but little it was not with gold nor siluer nor any corruptible thing that the Lord hath redeemed vs but with the precious blood of his owne Son Iesus as of a Lambe vnblemished and vnspotted If Dauid considering the goodnesse of God towards man in the work of creation fell out into this admiration O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Psalm 8. or the Son of man that thou doest visite him how much more haue we cause so to cry out considering the riches of God his wonderfull mercies shewed vs in the worke of redemption It was a great kindnesse which Abraham shewed to Lot when he hazarded his owne life and the liues of his familie to recouer Lot out of the hands of Chedarlaomer but not comparable to that kindnesse which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs who hath giuen his life to deliuer vs out of the hand of our enemies The Lord shed abroad in our hearts more and more abundantly the sence of that loue that we may endeauour to be thankfull for it by this threefold dutie first of thanksgiuing secondly of seruice thirdly of loue toward those who are beloued of him As for the first our life should be a continuall thanksgiuing Our thankfulnes againe should be testified by this threefold dutie and worshipping before him who hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood When the children of Israell had passed the red sea suppose they had a vast wildernesse betweene them and Canaan yet they praised 1 Continuall thanksgiuing God with a song of thanksgiuing and the Lord appointed an yeerely remembrance of that benefit If smaller mercies are to be remembred with thanksgiuing what shall we thinke of the greater As for the second which is seruice Zacharie teacheth 2 Seruice vs that for this end God hath deliuered vs from all our enimies that all our dayes we should serue him in righteousnesse Luke 1. 74.
and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound 2. Sam. 19. 9. themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Ezra 9. 13. Lord hath giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his blood shall we againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater Professors conuinced that serue him not mercie on man then this that he gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to be his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnesse onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou will not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the blood of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake we loue vnfainedly Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake those whom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue wee him walking with vs vpon earth that we may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoint his blessed bodie with precious oyntments therefore should our delight be vpon those his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of whom he hath said what ye doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to me and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These words containe the end of Christ came to destroy sin cursed are they who nourish it Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature he might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Sanit Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that he appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remooued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuse the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it 1. Pet. 3. 18. Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that he might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust mayst say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes he worketh that worke for which hee came namely he destroyes the worke of the diuell that is he enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sin by a metaphor is said to be condemned How Christ hath condemned sinne for as thy who are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and haue no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to commaund and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse Colos 2. 24. and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati Ambrose in hunc locum qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that power and authoritie of sinne whereby it detained men vnder damnation This hath he done most lawfully and in iudgement as we shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed bodie on the Crosse he hath suffered that punishment which the law required to be inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man which had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that we may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts which the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to be holden 1 In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall be iustly condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the backe of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neither Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that he should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that he should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that he should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it was enioyned vnto him so did he willingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him he presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a
not done by vs assuredly it shall be done vpon vs. De his qui faciunt quae Miserable is that man who maintaines a contrary will to Gods will Aug. de cor gra ca. 14. non vult facit ipse quae vult the Lord saith Augustine in a meruailous manner doth his will on them who doe that which hee will not and therefore woe shall be vnto all which are opposit to God his most holy will Quid tam paenale quam semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit what greater punishment can there be then this euermore to desire that which neuer shall be and alway to dislike that which for euer shall be a wicked man shall neuer obtain that which he desires but shall suffer for euer that which he dislikes For remedy of this rebellion our Sauiour hath taught vs daily to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in heauenâ— so we pray and the Lord giue vs grace that we may practise it that in euery action of our life denying our selues we make looke to our heauenly Father enquire for his will and follow it saying with our blessed Sauiour not my will O Lord but thine be done Mat. 26. 39. Verse 8. So then they that are after the flesh cannot please God HEre the Apostle concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh affirming He concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh that doe what they will they cannot please God To be in the flesh sometime is taken in a good part for it is all one with this to liue in the body but here it is taken in an euill part for to be in the flesh and to be in Christ are opposit one to another so that to be in the flesh is to be in the state of nature vnregenerate a stranger from the grace of Christ and the phrase is very significant for it imports an vniuersall thraldome of mans nature vnto the lusts of the flesh That speach of the Apostle to Simon Magus I see that thou art altogether in the Act. 8. 23. gall of bitternesse signifies much more than if he had said the gall of bitternesse was in him and the spirit of God when he sayes that man is in his sinne or in the flesh doth thereby What it is to be in the flesh expresse a farre greater corruption of his wretched nature then if he did say that sinne and fleshly corruption is in him Syricius Bishop of Rome expounds this place of married Syricius expounds this of the state of marriage wrongfully persons affirming that they are in the flesh and so cannot please God flatly against the Apostles owne commentarie for he wrote this Epistle to the godly Romanes among whom were many married persons such as Aquila and Priscilla whom afterward he commends for godlinesse and of whom he sayes verse 9. yee are not in the flesh because the spirit of God dwels in you so doth the Apostle expound it himselfe and therefore the Pope is but a peruerse interpreter of the Apostles minde and his fauourers are but seducers who will haue vs to seeke out of the boxe of his breast the true sense and meaning of all scripture Alwayes leauing them let vs marke againe here the miserable The best actions of wicked men please not God estate of such as are strangers from Christ What an vnhappy condition is this that a man should liue in that state of life wherein doe what he will he cannot please God Let Cain sacrifice with Abel the Lord shall not accept Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 38. Heb. 12. 17. Gen 32. 26. Hos 12. 4. Luke 18. 11. Luke 16. it let Esau his teares seeking a blessing from his father be shed as aboundantly as Iacobs were when he sought a blessing from the Angell yet shall he not preuaile he shall not be blessed let the Pharise pray in the Temple with the Publicane he shall not goe home iustified and for worldly glory let him be neuer so high among men he is but abhomination vnto God yea oftentimes worldlings to whom Psal waters are wrung out of a full cuppe are counted blessed and happie yet is it but ignorance that maks men account much of them that are despised in the eyes of God Ideo malus Aug. in Ioan cap. 7. tra 28. foelix putatur quia quod sit foelicitas ignoratur for this cause is an euill man counted happie because men know not what happinesse is But what euer men be thought of by others eyther for his shew of Godlinesse or his shew of worldly glory vnder which two shadowes the most part of men deceiue the remanent it is certaine that he onely is blessed with whom the Lord is pleased If the tree be not good it cannot bring forth good fruit and if the person be not Godly his actions cannot be acceptable vnto God It is in Christ Iesus onely that the Father is well pleased except we be in Christ neyther can our persons nor actions please the Lord. The Lord translate vs yet further out of this vnhappy estate of nature the Lord roote vs and ground vs in Christ Iesus and stablish vs to abide in him for euer Verse 9. Now ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you but if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his THE Apostle hauing discoursed of the miserable The second part of his application containes consolation for the godly that twofold estate of them who walke after the flesh doth now turne him toward the godly to comfort them least they should be discouraged with that remanent carnall corruption which they finde within themselues he shewes them that what he hath spoken of the vnhappy condition of carnall men doth no way 1 Consolation against the remanents of carnall corruption that are in vs. concerne them for they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In this verse the comfort is first set downe and then a caution annexed vnto it the comfort is for the weake Christian the Caution for the presumptuous professor the Apostle so terrifies the wicked that he reserues comfort for the Godly and he so comforts the Godly that he confirmes not the wicked in their sinnes No sort of men are sooner moued with the sharpe speaches of the word of God then are the children of God He hath said before thy who are in the flesh cannot please God least this should terrifie the Godly he subioynes but as for you yee are not in the flesh for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe no sort of men are more ready to appropriate vnto themselues the comforts of God then they to whom they belong not and therefore for their saks the Apostle subioynes the Caution If any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same
of dwelling imports a continuance of gods presence with his children presence but also a continuance thereof for hee soiournes not in vs as a stranger that lodges for some dayes or Moneths in a place but hath setled his residence to dwel in vs for euer how euer by temporal desertions he humble vs yet shall he neuer depart from that soule which once hee hath sanctified to be his owne habitation and this comfort Three arguments to proue that the regenerate are sure of perseuerance in Grace is confirmed to vs by most sure arguments The first is taken from the nature of God He is faithfull saith the Apostle by whom we are called to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord he will confirme vs to the end that wee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus And againe saith 1 From the nature of God who begets vs. he I am perswaded that hee who hath begâ—n this good worke in you will performe it vntill the day of Christ. That word which the Lord spake to Iacob stands sure to all his posteritie I will not forsake thee till I haue performed that which I Phil. 1. 5. 6. promised thee The couenant of God is perfect and euerlasting and therefore with Dauid will wee giue this glory vnto God that he will performe his promise toward vs and bring forward his owne worke in vs to perfection The 2 From the nature of that life communicated to vs. Rom. 6. 9. second argument is taken from the nature of that life which Christ communicateth to his members it is no more subiect vnto death We know that Christ being raised from the dead dyes no more This life I say is communicated to vs for it is not we that liue but Christ that liues in vs. And the 3 From the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten 1. Pet. 1. 23. How the spirit of God is said to depart from Saul third is taken from the nature of that seede whereof we are begotten for as the seede is so is the life that comes by it now the seed saith the Apostle is immortall we are borne of new not of mortall seed but immortall our life therefore is immortall But against this is obiected that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and that which Dauid prayes take not thine holy Spirit from me To this I answere that the spirit is taken sometime for the common and externall gifts of the spirit such as are bestowed as well vpon the wicked as vpon 1. Sam. 16. 14. the godly as the gift of Prophecie gouernement working Psal 51. 11. miracles and such like and these once giuen may be taken againe in this sense it is said that God tooke the spirit that was vpon Moses and gaue it vnto the seauentie Elders and so also it is said that the spirit of God departed from Saul there it is put for the gift of gouernement sometime againe it is taken for the speciall and internall gift of sanctification this spirit once giuen is neuer taken away for this gift and calling of God is without repentance that is they neuer fall vnder reuocation To the second when Dauid saith take not thine holy spirit How Dauid prayeth that God would not take from him his holy Spirit from me and restore mee againe to the ioy of thy saluation this imports not a full departure of Gods spirit from him otherwise he could not haue prayed but that his sinne had diminished the sense and feeling of that operation of the spirit in him which hee was wont to feele before and so is it with others of Gods Children that either the neglect of the spirituall worship or the commission of some new sinnes doth so impaire the sense of mercy in them that to their iudgement the spirit of God hath iustly forsaken them This I confesse is a very heauie estate and more bitter to them that haue felt before the sweetnesse of Gods mercy than death it selfe yet euen in this same estate wherein no comfort is felt let patience sustaine men let them learne to put In spiritual desertions wee must distinguish betweene that which is and which we feele Esa 6. 13. a difference betweene that which they feele and that which is and remember that this is a false conclusion to say the spirit of grace is not in thee because thou canst not feele him for as there is a substance in the Oake or Elme euen when it hath cast the leaues so is there Grace in the heart many times when it doth not appeare and these desertions which endure for a while are but meanes to effectuate a neerer communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he turneth Chri. in Mat. hom 14. away from thee saith Chrysostome for a short while that he may haue thee for euer with himselfe Now it remaines that we consider of those benefits wee What great benefits comes to the soule by the dwelling of Christs spirit in vs. haue by the dwelling of Christs Spirit in vs and of the duties which we owe againe vnto him The benefites are many and great Si enim tanta sit vis animâ— in massa terrae sustinenda mouenda impellenda quanta erit vis Dei in anima quae natura agilis est mouenda for if the soule be of such force to giue life and motion to this body which is but a masse of earth what shall the spirit of God doe vnto our soule which naturally is agill the wonderfull benefits that the body receiues by the dwelling of the soule in it may leade vs some way to consider of those great benefits which are brought vnto the soule by the dwelling of the spirit of GOD in vs. But of many we will shortly touch these two onely the 1 He repaires the whole lodging of soule and body first is that where this holy spirit comes to dwell he repaires the lodging man by nature being like vnto a ruinous pallace is restored by the grace of Christ This reparation of man is sometimes called a new creation sometimes regeneration and it extends both to soule and body as to the soule the Lord strikes vp new lights in the minde restores life to the heart communicates holinesse to the affections so that where before the soule was a habitation for vncleane spirits lying vnder the curse of Babel the â—im and Zijm Isai 13. 21. What vgly guests dwelt in vs before hee came to possesse vs. dwelling in it the Ostriches lodging the Satires dauncing the Dragons crying within her pallaces that is defiled with all sorts of vile and vncleane affections the Lord Iesus hath sanctified it to be a holy habitation vnto himselfe And as to the reparation of our bodies it consists partly in making all the members thereof weapons of righteousnesse in this life and partly in deliuerance of them from mortality and corruptibility which shall be done in the day of
silly hope of immortall fame of their affection to their country It was saith Augustine the silly comfort of the Gentiles against the want of buriall Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam and as comfortlesse is the comfort of many bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pusillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit Tit. 1. 16. many proâ—â—sse him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose hearts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to Our bodies are not onely mortall but deâ—d death but by a more significant manner of speech he saith the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibility of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessity of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The Officers and Sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauie diseases hath câ—ased already The Officers of death hath bound vs already vpon our bodies marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou â—rt dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to be Gen. 3. 19. executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the Officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dâ—ad 1 Thereâ—ore should we liue in the body vnder feare 1. Pet. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 12. Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his miserie to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanity and wantonnesse considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may be The pittifull securitie of carnall professâ—rs deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of their house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enemie was within were sodainely ouerthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the pillar of their Psal 58. 9. Psal 73. 19. house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewind and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them 2 Death entred into the body should represse our naturall pride And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing Bernard that is in the flesh quid tu superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud will he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow Au. ser 21. If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he was pust vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his abhomination if I waxe proud lying in a dung-hill shall I not be punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupt nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie and strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowers O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and 3 Should learne vs temperance and sobrietie sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue seeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodies fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem preciosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their Bernard flesh with delicate things which within few dayes the worms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibus but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to be presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them 1 Cor. 6. 13. both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse Sathans shamelesse impudencie discouered impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if he had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruit of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality 2 Resurrection confirmed by types figures such as The same is in like manner shadowed in holy Scripture by sundry types and figures among which in Tertulian his iudgement the restitution of Ionas out of the Whales belly is one albeit the belly of the Whale was more able to haue altered and changed the body of Ionas by reason of the Ionas body great heat that is therein then the belly of the earth could haue beene by reason of her colde yet is hee restored the third day as liuely as he was receiued The same he thinkes of that vision of dry bones shewed to Ezechiel which at Ezekiels bones Chap. 38. once â—t the word of the Lord was knit together with sinews and couered vvith flesh and skinne this was not onely a prediction of the deliuerance of Israell out of Babell but also a typical confirmation of the resurrection of our bodies Non enim figura de ossiâ—us potuisset componi nisi id ipsum essibuâ— Tertull. de resur carnis 〈…〉 rum essâ—t for that figure of the bones could not haue beene made if the truth figured thereby were not also to be accomplished vpon such bones Parabola de nullo non conuenit vvhat parable or similitude can be brought from a thing which is not We shall not reade in all the booke of God that any parable hath beene borrowed from that thing which neuer was nor neuer will be Of this sort also is the flourishing of Aarons rodde in the iudgement of Cyril Aarons rodde Numb 17. which being before a dry and withered sticke incontinent by the word of the Lord flourished hee that restored to Aarons rodde that kinde of vegitatiue life which it had before will much more raise Aaron himselfe from the dead Of these figures shadowing the resurrection many more are to be found in holy Scripture As for examples in euery age of the world the Lord Examples of the Resurrection Gen. 5. hath raised some from the dead to be witnesses of the resurrection of the rest Before the floud hee carried vp Henoch aliue intâ— heauen and hee saw no death vnder the law Elias was transported in a fierie chariot and in the last age 2 Kings 2. of the world not onely hath our Lord blessed for euer risen from the dead and ascended into heauen as the first fruits of them which rise from the dead but also by his power hee raised Lazarus out of the graue euen after that stinking rottennesse had entred into his flesh and vpon the Crosse when hee seemed to be most weake hee shewed himselfe most strong hee caused by his power many that were dead to come out of their graues and to enter into the Citie Yea his seruant Peter by the power of the Lord Iesus raised the damsell Dorcas from death and in the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 9. 40. Acts. 3. made him that was lame of his feete to arise and walke when we see such power in the seruant of Christ working in his name shall we not reserue the praise of a greater power to himselfe And lastly as for the practises of God in nature wee are 3 Gods working both in our selues and the creature confirmes the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. not to neglect them for the Apostle himselfe brings arguments from them to confirme the resurrection He first propones the question of the Atheist how are the dead raised vp and with what body come they forth and then subioynes the answere O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die it is sowen in the earth bare corne and God raiseth it with another body at his pleasure seeing thou beholdest this daily working of God in nature why wilt not thou beleeue that the Lord is able to doe the like vnto thy selfe Qui illa reparat quae tibi sunt necessaria quanto mâ—gâ—s te reparabit propter Ang. de verb. Apost ser 34. quem illa reparare dignatus est Seeing the Lord for thy sake repaires those things which are necessary to maintaine thy life will he not much more restore thy selfe and raise thee vp from death vnto eternall life And to insist in these same confirmations which we may A two-fold meditation to coÌ„firme the resurrection haue from the working of God in nature both in our selues and in other creatures if eyther with Iustin Martyr wee consider of how small a beginning or then with Cyril how of nothing God hath made vp man we shall see how iustly the Apostle calleth them fooles who deny the resurrection of our bodyes The Lord saith Iustin Maâ—tyr of a little drop of mans seede which as Iob saith is powred out like 1 How of a litle drop god made vs that which now wee are water buildeth vp daily this excellent workmanship of mans body who would beleeue that of so small a beginning and without forme so well a proportionate body in all the members thereof could be brought forth nisi aspectus sidem faceret were it not that daily sight and experience confirmeth Iust Mart. apol 2. ad Senat. Rom. it why then shall it be thought a thing impossible to the Lord to reedifie the same body after that by death it hath beene dissolued into dust and ashes And againe if with 2 How God hath made vs of nothing to be that which now wee are Cyrill wee will s 〈…〉 out our beginning and consider what wee were this day hundred yeare wee shall finde that wee were not seeing the Lord of nothing hath brought out so pleasant and beautifull a creature as thou art this day shalt thou thinke it impossible to him an hundred yeares after this oâ— longer or shorter as it pleaseth him to restore thee againe and raise thee from the dead qui potuit id quod non Ciril cate 4 erat producere vt aliquid esse id quod iam est cum â—eciderit restituere non poterit he that could bring out that which was not and make it to be something shall we thinke that he cannot raise vp againe that which now is after that it hath fallen Which of these two I pray thee is the greatest and most It is easier to restore one that hath been then to make one that neuer was difficult worke in thy iudgement for vnto the Lord euery thing that hee will is alike easie whether to make one who neuer was or to restore againe one who hath beene Doubtlesse to make a man in our iudgement is a greater thing then to raise him In the worke of creation the Lord made that to bee which was not in the worke of resurrection the Lord shall make that to be which was before the one thou beleeuest because thou seest it dayly done the other thou doubtest of because it is to be done but cease to doubt any more and of that which God hath
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
the sinfull lusts thâ—reof But alas the corruption of our nature is so great that without great circumspection we cannot nourish the body vnlesse wee also nourish sinne in the body many vnder pretence of doing duty to the one failes in the other so they pamper the body that they quench the spirit ouercome with gluttony they are not able to pray VVee are vvith the godly to keepe a meane betweene these two extremities as a ship if it be ouerladed Discipline whereby wee beat downe the body would neither be too strait nor too remisse is easily ouerwhelmed by the water or if it be too light and not ballassed is easily driuen out of the due course by the winde as a horse if he be hungred cannot serue his Master or if fed aboue measure waxes insolent and kickes against his rider so is it with the body neither would it be so weakened that it be not able to performe the works of Christian Ephra Syr. lib. 1. cap. 9. duty neither yet so pampered that it become a burthen to the soule and an impediment to spirituall exercises But in this age we neede not greatly to admonish men of the one But most men faile in excessiue pampering the body extremity the debt men owes vnto their bodies is payd with a large measure and running ouer it is not onely serued to necessity but so ouercharged with superfluity that oftentimes it loathes and abhorres those aliements by which it liues the soule in the meane time put to a sober dyet left famished without any morsell of heauenly bread whereby it should be refreshed and strengthened whereof it comes that the lusts of the flesh waxe strong and the life of the spirit wonderfully decayes Though the other member of the opposition be not here Many Lords striuing for mans superiority and to haue man their seruant exprest yet it followes necessarily wee are debters to the spirit And so wee may gather of these words how there are sundry Lords striuing for the superiority of man The World with her pleasures allures man to follow her but pretend what shee will in truth her word is decipâ—â—ra The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts she wants not her baytes wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is infiâ—iam Sathan strongest of the three vsurpers superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and worship him hee wants not promises enough faire in show but in truth his word is interficiam Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord he also cals vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him hee hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is râ—ficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to whom shall we yeeld our selues but vnto him who cryes reficiam Let vs therefore say with Dauid O Lord no wight can make title to me but onely thou all others that exact Psal 119. 94. But forsaking the rest wee should yeeld our selues seruants to Christ and why any seruice of vs are but vncouth Lords to whom we are not oblieged they are but tyrants striuing to oppresse vs Câ—rtant in me de meipso cuius potisâ—â—mâ—m esse videar they striue saith Bernard within me about me to which of them chiefly I should seeme to appertaine but O Lord Iesus I am thine I haue no King but thou come therefore and raigne in mee and remoue these offences out of thy kingdome happy are they who can so render themselues to the Lord for in the houre of death what is it that men craues more then that the Lord Iesus should acknowledge them for his who will not in that houre beg that mercy at the hands of God Lord receiue my Spirit but assuredly if thou yeeld it not to him in life when he requires it he shall not receiue it from thee in death when thou wouldst tender it to him â—he Lord graunt that in our whole liues wee may acknowledge our selues as debters of daily seruice vnto him so shall the Lord in death welcome vs as his faithfull seruants and receiue vs into his rest Verse 1â— For if yee liue after thâ— flesh yee shall dye but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue THis word of the Lord pronounceth before The Apostle stands here as a messenger of mercy with a sword in his mouth to terrifie men from the way of death hand vpon you who liue after the flesh a condemnatorie sentence yee shall dye which how euer yee esteeme to be light when you heare it yet yee shall finde it heauy vvhen it shall be executed vpon you To you againe who mortifies the deedes of the body by the spirit there is here pronounced an absoluatorie sentence yee shall liue vvhich in the end shall yeeld you comfort surpassing all that the pleasures of sinne or gaine of vngodlinesse can afford vnto you As that Cherubin therefore stood in the entry of Paradise with the blade Gen. 3. 24. of a shaking sword to keepe Adam from the way of the Not like that Cherubin a minister of iustice to hold Adam out of paradise Tree of life so the Apostle stands here betweene vs and death with a sentence like a two edged sword in his mouth to keepe the sonnes of Adam as farre as hee can from the way of death the one stood as a minister of Gods iustice the other stands as a messenger of mercy The Lord hath sworne by himselfe as I liue I desire not the death of a sinner Ezâ— 18. 32. but that he should returne and liue he iustifies his word by his Both the word and deed of the Lord declares that he craues not the death of a sinner deed in that in all ages of the world he hath sent out messengers to warne them to goe by the way of death so that now if any man perish it is because he stops his eares at the warning of the watchman of God for thou canst not say but Moses and the Prophets Iesus Christ and his Apostles and Preachers haue met thee in the way of thy sinne and warned thee many a time by the word of the Lord that if thou walke on that way thou shalt assuredly dye where thou passing by them all rushest headlong after the lusts of thy flesh and so thou perishest and thy blood shall be vpon thine owne head As the Apostle to the preceding exhortation annexed an argument a debito from that which we are bound to doe so now hee subioynes another argument partly a damno from the losse wee incurre if wee doe it not in these words if yee liue after the flesh yee shall dye and partly a commodo from the vantage we shall reape if we doe it in these words if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit yee shall liue If wee were such men as wee should be the former exhortation That the
benefite hee receiues of vs for nothing can accresse by the meanes of any creature to that most high and al-sufficient maiestie Sâ—d vt haberit in quem sua benefiâ—ia collâ—caret but that hee might haue some vpon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glorie of his rich mercie Yet both the Adoptions agrees in this that they flow The naturall giues to the Adopted the priuiledges of a sonne from the pleasure and good will of him vvho is the adoptant and that they giue to him who is adopted the priuiledges of a Sonne which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of that man whom hee hath adopted to be his Sonne no more then Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian vvoman but could not change the Aethiopians colour but the Lord our God were wee neuer so blacke if hee marry vs hee shall make vs beautifull if by the grace of Adoption he make But the spirituall giues also the new nature and conditions of a Sonne vs his sonnes by the grace of Regeneration hee shall also make vs new creatures all the sonnes of GOD are made partakers of the Diuine nature Take heede therefore vnto your liues and conuersations for if ye goe on to spend the remanent of your dayes after the inordinate lusts of the flesh and walke on in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnes in adulterie in strife and enuy in couctousnesse and such other workes of vncleannesse wherein many among you doe yet continue wee must say vnto you that ye haue not God for your Father but ye are of your father the Diuell because ye doe his workes except wee see in you the Image and superscription of God and that ye haue engrauen in your conuersation as Aaron Exod. 28. 36. had vpon his frontlet Holinesse to the Lord we cannot blesse you in the name of the Lord nor acknowledge you for such as are his by Adoption And of this againe wee marke that the sonnes of God The Sonnes of God after their receiuing the Spirit of Adoption know that God is their Father know most certainely that God is become their heauenly Father for in this they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call vpon him with boldnesse as vpon their Father It is therefore a vile errour which that most comfortlesse religion of the Papists renders to them who seeke comfort in it that no man in this life can know whether he be beloued or hated of God nor can haue any certaine knowledge of his owne saluation except it be by extraordinarie reuelation we improued it at length in the ninth verse It is true naturall children may be ignorant of their earthly Father and puft vp with a vaine conceit that they are descended of a more noble parentage then indeed they are as the â—latterers of Alexander would haue him to thinke that hee was the Sonne of Iupiter and not of Phillip but being wounded in a battell hee was taught by experience that hee was the mortall Sonne of a mortall Father and therefore smyling vpon his â—latterers hee said vnto them this bloud seemeth to mee not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of GOD but the bloud of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it No prayer to God without the spirit of God is by the spirit of Adoption wee pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that firie Chariot in the which Eliah was caried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are caried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceedes from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy harted more readie to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch Mat. 26. 38. and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among The godly should cry together not one against an other others who cryes by this Spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meete in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were Vnion of desires in prayer commended neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames Iames 5. 16. saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might wee looke for if vvee could ioyne in
things prouided and reserued for them vvho patiently suffer vvith the Lord Iesus Christ But to insist in the words here vsed by the Apostle let Foure things marked here concerning the life to come vs consider in them these foure things First the excellency of it in the word glory Secondly the eternitie of it vvhich is to be collected of the secret opposition made betweene it and our present sufferings which are now Thirdly the manifestation of it in this that he saith it is yet to be reuealed Fourthly the veritie and soliditie of it in that he saith it is to be reuealed in vs. First then the excellencie of that life is to be considered 1 The excellency of it in the word glory There shall be there no base nor contemptible thing all shall be glorious that is there and our estate then shall be an estate of glory Now we see the Lord but through a vaile and in a mirrour but then wee shall see the Lord face to face and shal in such sort behold his glory that wee shall be transformed into it This change as vvitnesseth the Apostle is begun by the sight of God vvhich we haue in the Gospell for euen now wee behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed from glory to glory by the same image by the spirit of the Lord but in heauen this change shall be perfected and we shall be fully transformed into his holy similitude so that nothing shall be left in vs but that which is his own workmanship O how hath the Lord magnified his mercy toward vs he hath raised our honour from the dust and deliuered our soules for the lower hell and hath made vs to sit with himselfe in the highest places where we shall be filled with the ioyes which are at his right hand wee shall drinke of the riuers of his pleasures in his light we shall see light and be transchanged by the light of his countenance Moses was fortie dayes with GOD vpon Mount Sinai Fortie dayes company with God changed the face of Moses how much more c and his face shined so brightly that when hee came downe the people of Israel might not behold him if fortie dayes remayning with God did so transchange him how shall wee be changed who shall for euer abide with him neuer any more come downe from him Our Sauiour Christ saith that the face of the iust shall shine in that day like the Sunne in the firmament O what glory shall be among them all when the glory of one shall be like the brightnesse of the Sunne et qualis tunc erit splendor animarum quando solis habebit claritatem Aug. ad frat in Erem lux corporum and when the light of that bodie shall be like vnto the light of the Sunne how great thinke yee shall be the shining light of the soule Those three disciples If our bodies shall shine as the Sunne what shall our soules be that were with our Lord vpon Mount Tabor vvere so filled vvith ioy at the glance of his glory vvhich they saw that they vvished they might bide there for euer how then shall vve be rauished when wee shall see that full manifestation of his glorie we shall neuer desire to remoue out of that mountaine of God another heart shall be giuen vs and vve shall become other men then wee are so that as a little drop of water powred into a great vessell full of wine looseth both the taste and colour of vvater and becomes wine or as iron put into the fire takes on after a sort the nature of fire and as the ayre illuminated with the bright shining Sunne seemes not so much to be illuminated as to be light it selfe so our soules and bodies when the glory of God shall shine vpon them shall be so wonderfully transchanged that after a sort we shall become partakers of the diuine nature Beside this the excellency of that glory shall yet better appeare All the companions in that glory are first borne all noble mē of strength and dignity if we consider the companions with whom we shall be glorified there is the congregation of the first borne al of them are men of excellent strength and dignitie not of base linage but noble indeede for by their second birth they are the Sonnes of God and brethren of the Lord Iesus The Citizens of Tyrus are described by Esay to haue been companions to Princes but in that heauenly Ierusalem euerie Citizen is a crowned King and none but Kings are freemen of that citie knit among themselues by the band of one Spirit into so holy a communion that euery one of them accounts the ioy and glory of his brethren an increase of his owne ioy It is not there as here vpon earth where the The glory of one of them augments the glory of another ioy of one is the cause of sorrow to another the light of the Sun darkneth the Moone and the light of the Moone obscureth the light of the Stars if the one halfe of the earth be illuminated the other is left in darknesse but there the light of one augments the light of another the glory of one shall be the glory of all euery one of them reioycing not onely because the lightsome countenance of God shines vpon themselues but also because they see their brethren admitted to the fruition of the same glory But among all those with whom wee shall be glorified Specially the sight of Iesus Lord of that familie shall encrease our ioy there is one companion of our glory vvho aboue all the rest shall breed vs exceeding delectation Iesus Christ the man O with what boldnesse and spirituall reioycing shall wee stand in among the holy Angels vvhen vvee shall see the Lord of the house the Prince of glory clothed with our nature Now we are sure that our Redeemer liueth and wee shall at the last day see him in our flesh wee our selues shall see him our eyes shall behold him and none other for vs and herein is our comfort that albeit as yet vvee haue not seene him vve loue him and reioyce in him vvith ioy vnspeakeable and glorious And of this ariseth vnto vs some resolution of that doubt Whether we shall know one another in heauen or not which commonly is moued whether one of vs shall know another in heauen or no shall wee know the Patriarches the Prophets the Apostles it is true that these naturall delights which now wee haue one of vs in another shall vanish yet as I haue said the ioy that shall arise vnto vs of the glorification of others leadeth vs to thinke that we shall know them Peter Iames and Iohn did they not know Moses and Elias talking vvith the Lord Iesus albeit they had neuer seene them before and did not Adam so soone as hee wakened out of his sleepe know Euah that shee was bone
somtime in the similitude of a Doue somtime in the similitude of fire teaching vs c. there is more required of them because more is giuen them they ought to plead with an holy anger the cause of Gods glory following the good example of Moses who had this praise that he was the most meeke man vpon earth yet when the Lord was dishonoured by idolatry his anger so encreased that he brake the Tables thereby declaring the people to be most vnworthy with whom the Lord should keepe any couenant he stamped their Calfe to powder and executed the idolaters vnto death That same holy Spirit who once descended in the similitude of a Doue did afterward discend in the similitude of fire to teach vs his two-sold operation in some cases hee maketh those vpon whom he descends like vnto the Doue simple meeke patient without any gall or bitternesse and that is in offences done against our selues otherwise in offences done against our God he makes vs hot and feruent Thus farre haue we spoken of Patience which seeing it is so necessary a grace of the Spirit we are to seeke it from the Father of light from whom euery manner of good gift doth descend vnto vs. Verse 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpes our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe makes request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed NOw followes the second principall argument The second principall argument of comfort is from that help which presently wee haue in our trouble of comfort against the crosse the first was taken from the comfort which is to come this is taken from that present comfort and helpe which we haue euen now albeit affliction be a burthen heauier than we of our selues are able to beare it yet the spirit of Christ is present with vs not as a spectator onely of our sufferings but as a party helper of vs in all our afflictions This Spirit is that comforter whom the Lord Iesus promised to send he once descended vpon the Apostles in a visible manner in the similitude of clouen tongues of fire and made euery one of them to speake with new languages and doth still daily descend in an inuisible manner vpon the children of God working in them heauenly motions and spirituall strength whereby they stand in tentations this is the summe of the argument Where first we haue to marke that the Apostle ascribes Wee are full of infirmities but our help is froÌ„ the Lord who is present with vs not as a spectator onely but as an helper vnto vs of our owne nothing but infirmities the help wherby we stand he ascribes it vnto the Lord and it is to be marked that when the Apostle ascribeth vnto vs infirmities hee will thereby point out vnto vs that remanent weaknesse and debility to doe any thing that is good our best actions are rather a preasing to doe good than a perfecting of it In a Godly man his desires are better than his deedes hee cannot doe the good that he desires as the Apostle plainely confesseth of himselfe but the wicked haue their desires worse than their deedes for vvhen they haue done most wickedly yet haue they still a desire to doe more till their tormenting conscience vvaken them and so vvhereas the one sinneth of weakenesse the other sinneth of wickednesse The Christian is freed from wickednes not from weakenesse Certainely they vvho are truely Godly are so farre from wickednesse that if they were such men as they desire to be and could possibly performe that good which they prease to doe there would not be such a thing as a spark of the life of sinne left remaining in them Alwayes we liue vnder this hope that the Lord who hath already by his grace deliuered vs from wickednesse will also in his owne good time deliuer vs from our weaknesse hee shall make our deedes answerable to our desires and wee shall become such as may say Now thankes be to God for I doe the good vvhich I would These infirmities after our regeneration are left in vs Why infirmities are left in vs after our regeneration partly as Antidotes against our naturall presumption as we may see in the holy Apostle who least he should haue beene exalted out of measure was buffeted with the Angell of Sathan and partly for our prouocation to prayer that hauing experience of our owne weakenesse wee might runne to the Lord who is the strength of our soule and seeke his helpe by prayer whereunto otherwise wee are very slow by nature notwithstanding it be the best and most acceptable seruice that we can giue vnto God vpon earth Wee haue marked this in experience that as they who finde not themselues bodily diseased seeke not the Phisition so hee that feeles not the spirituall infirmities of his soule cannot pray vnto God to remedie them the Lord hath vsed the infirmities of many as holy meanes to make them truely religious who were prophane before and for these causes are infirmities left in vs. Infirmities So the Apostle speakes in the plurall number Our infirmities are manifold because not one but manifold are the infirmities whereunto vvee are subiect whereof there arises to vs a two-fold vvarning First that we take heede vnto our selues and see vvhere vvee are vveakest to the end that there vve may strengthen our selues The Philistims were very carefull to know wherein Sâ—mpsons strength lay to the end that spoyling him of his strength they might spoyle him of his life but Sathan by long experience knowes our infirmities and sets vpon vs there vvhere he knowes that vve are vveakest As therefore theâ— who are besieged looke not so much vnto the stronger part of the wall as vnto the weaker that they Wee should strengthen our selues most where we are weakest may strengthen it so wisedome craues that we should looke most narrowly to our greatest infirmities Hee that hath children albeit he loue them all yet hath he most respect to the most infirme among them and he that hath many tenements of land hastes soonest to repayre that which is most ruinous and among all the members of the body we care most for those that are weake or vvounded Seeing Nature hath taught vs to take heed to those things which are ours shall vve not much more take heede vnto our selues It is euen a point of holy wisedome to consider vvhere wee are weakest and what those sinnes are vnto which we are most subiect and by vvhich Sathan hath gotten greatest vantage against vs that so vve may take the more paines to make our selues strong against it And after that by prayer and spirituall exercises thou Yet so that we remember that the enemie repulsed at one place will assault another hast made thy selfe strong there vvhere thou vvast wont to be vveake yet take heede vnto thy selfe it is not one but many infirmities vvhereunto we are subiect and
shall see Esau seeking the blessing with greater crying and moe teares than Iacob and Saul shall confesse his sinne no lesse than Dauid and Ahab shall humble himselfe in dust and ashes more penitent like than Ezechiah the Pharisee shall be more abundant in fasting giuing of almes than the Publican As he that doth paint a faire fire may paint the colour and the forme of the bowing flame thereof but can no way paint the heat thereof so an Hypocrite can looke like a Christian speake like a Christian and in outward actions counterfait the Christian but can neuer attaine to the Christians heart therefore is it that the Lord most of all delights in the heart and vvee also most of all should take heed vnto it to keepe it holy Beside this that the Lord hath locked vp the heart of It is in great wisedome that God hath locked vp the hart of one man from another one man from another and hath reserued the knowledge of the heart to himselfe onely the Lord hath done it in great wisedome for seeing that man diuided himselfe by sinne from God their hearts by nature are so discordant among themselues that if their hearts were as manifest to others as their faces there could not be a fellowship nor societie entertained among men Looke how many men are in the world there are as many sundry iudgements and wils euery man hauing a kingdome in his breast and so carryed away with a desire of his owne super-excellencie that he seeketh the aduancement of his owne will with the ouerthrow of all others whose will is not agreeable to his if hee might attaine vnto it Againe the heart of man is such a bottomles fountaine of wickednesse that if it vvere manifested the vvorld should be infected vvith viler abhominations than any that yet are knowne in it for if the tongue which is but a little member of the body when it somes out but a small part of that filth vvhich abounds in the heart be so forcible as to corrupt the honest minds and manners of the hearers vvhat should be done if the heart it selfe were laid open which is by nature but a stincking puddle and filthy store-house of all iniquitie And further for the comfort of the whole Church of God The soueraignty of God ouer man appeares in this that he is vpon the secrets of their hearts and euery member thereof let vs marke the soueraigntie of our God ouer all his creatures in these two that not onely hee is vpon their secrets vvhether they vvill or not for he sits in their hearts but also hath soueraign commandement ouer them so that he can when he will will when his glory requires eyther take their hearts vtterly from them or turn their owne hearts against themselues as domestick enemies to torment them And as for the first it is manifest out of this place that the Lord sitteth vpon the secret counsell of the wicked for hee searcheth the heart It was a great discouragement to Benhadad King of Aram that the secret conclusion vvhich he laid with his captaines in his cabinet counsel concerning the ordering of his battels against Israel were discouered as they were concluded by Elisha the Prophet vnto the King of Israel and vvho reueiled them to Elisha but the Lord our God who sits as moderator in the counsell of the wicked whether they will or not to ouerrule their determinations direct them to their own end which is the glory and good of his church Let our enemies then take counsell and conspire together as they will hee that doth sit in the heauens shal haue them in derision The counsell of the Lord shall stand and what he hath decreed shall onely come to passe let vs therefore rest in him It vvere good for men to consider this that albeit man Man hath but his hart to hold him vp and God can take it from him when he will be sustained and vpholden by his owne heart so that no other thing can help him if it faile him yet it is in the Lords power to doe vvith it what he vvill how oft haue we seene that the Lord being angry at man passing by all the members of his body and leauing them whole and sound hath stricken the heart with such terrours that most valiant men hauing eyes could not see hauing a tongue could not speak hauing hands could not strike to defend themselues and hauing feete could not doe so much as runne away their heart being taken from them by God they are left in a strait and comfortlesse estate But farre more miserable are they when the Lord turnes their own hearts against themselues and makes them a terrour to themselues A fearefull example whereof vvee haue in Belshazzar who seeing nothing Dan. 4. 6. vvithout him but the figure of a hand which stirred him not vvas so stricken and pursued with his owne heart within him that his flesh trembled his countenance waxed pale his knees smote one against another If man considered this he would be loath to prouoke the Lord vnto anger seeing he can neither sustaine the wrath of God nor eschew it Moreouer vvee are taught here seeing our Prayer is a We haue neede of great reuerence in praier seeing we speak to him who searcheth the heart conference with him who searcheth the hart that we should alway pray with our heart for otherwise if wee draw neere him with our lips our heart being farre from him he vvill curse vs as deceiuers that hauing a male in our flock doe sacrifice a lame thing vnto the Lord that is in stead of the seruice of our hearts doe offer vnto him the seruice of our lips The Lord hath no delight in the sacrifice of fooles who are rash with their mouth to vtter a thing before him not considering that hee is in heauen and they are vpon earth the mouth may reach to men vvho are beside vs the heart onely may reach to God who is aboue It was a very godly Psal 139. 23. protestation that Dauid made Try me O Lord and proue my thoughts in the night and see if at any time I haue spoken that to thee with my mouth which I haue not thought with my heart and albeit vve haue not as yet attayned vnto it yet it is that holy sinceritie vvhereat vve should ayme in all our Prayers so to speake vnto GOD that our conscience may beare vs record that vve lye not and that vve haue spoken nothing vvith our mouth vvhich vve haue not thought vvith our heart We are therefore for the right ordering of our prayers Three things to be obserued in Prayer to take heed to these three things First preparation before prayer Secondly attention in prayer Thirdly reuerent 1 That preparation go before it thanksgiuing after prayer As for the first as Moses and Iosua put off their shooes before they came neere the Lord so are we to remoue out
growing according to it he esteemes iudges and speakes of the Christian from it hee giues vs these names as to call vs Saints righteous c. not counting with vs vvhat haue vve beene neyther yet weighing vs by the corruption of sinnefull nature which remaines in vs but according to the new grace vvhich in our regeneration hee hath created in vs Hee sees no iniquitie in Israel and it is his Numb 23. 21. praise to passe by the transgressions of his heritage But the Christian by the contrarie in iudging of himselfe he lookes most commonly â—o that vvhereunto the Lord lookes least his sinnes are euer before him the old man is continually in his sight as a strong and mighty Gyant vvhose force hee feares vvhose tyrannie makes him to tremble and by whom hee findes himselfe detayned vnder miserable thraldome farre against his will and therefore all his care is how to subdue his tyrannie how to quench his life and shake off his dominion in this vvarfare he sighes complaines and cryes vnto GOD with the holy Apostle O miserable Rom. 7. 24. man who shall deliuer me from this body of sinne But because so long as this old man hath a life hee neuer rests to send out sinnefull motions and actions which doe greatly grieue the child of God therefore is it that hee esteemes himselfe a miserable creature yea and the chiefe of all sinners Thus yee see how it is that God accounts his children Saints and they account themselues Sinners Where againe Saint Iohn saith that he who is borne of God How it is to be vnderstood that he who is borne of God sinneth not sinnes not and yet that hee who saith hee hath no sinne is a lyer both of these is true He that is borne of God that is the new man sinneth not for sure it is that all the sins which are committed by man are either done without the knowledge of the new man his vnderstanding being as yet so vveake that he doth not know euery sinne to be sinne or then if he knowes them to be sinnes they are done without his consent or approbation yea they are done sore against his will so that the new man in the sinnes which are done in the body is a patient not an agent So that as an honest man captiued by violence and against The new man liues in the body like Lot in Sodome his will compelled to behold wicked and abhomiâ—able deedes which he would not so much as looke to if hee were free so is the new man detayned in the body as a captiue and compelled to looke vnto that which he loues not that is to the sinfull motions vnruly lusts and affections of his corrupt nature whereunto he consents not but protests against them and for their sake becomes wearie of soiourning in the body so that Ioseph was not more wearie of his prison nor Ieremie of his dungeon nor Daniel of the company of Lyons nor Dauid more wearie of his dwelling in Psal 120. 5. the tents of Kedar than is the new man wearie of his abiding in the body He is like Lot in Sodome whose righteous soule was vext day by day by hearing and seeing the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites he is like Israel in Aegipt kept in most vile slauerie by the tyrannie of Pharaoh sighing and crying hee is like the godly Iewes holden in captiuitie in Babell many things they saw there done to the dishonour of God which they no way approued and many things they would haue done that they had no liberty to do So this new man perceiues many sinfull motions actions brought in vpon him by a superiour power which are a griefe vnto him and vexation of his spirit And this is the greatest comfort of the new man that Reioycing when â—e doth good grieued when he doth euill Rom. 7. 15. whatsoeuer good he doth hee doth it with ioy and on the contrary euill that is done in the body it is a griefe to him to see it yea he protests against it O Lord this is not I but sin that dwels in me thou knowst I like it not I allow it not I wish from my heart there were not done in me any thing that might offend thee Onely happy and thrice happy is the man who with the holy Apostle is able to say so Thus yee see in what sense the Godly are said by the Euangelist in one place not to sinne and in another not to be without sin The Lord worke this holy disposition in vs that the life of sinne may daily be weakned in vs. According to God Wee haue last of all to marke here We should not present petitions to God which are not according to his will that those petitions which flow from the Spirit are according to Gods will and therefore as concerning temporall things because wee know not absolutely what is the will of God whether health or sicknesse riches or pouertie be most expedient for vs we are to pray with a condition if it be his will but as for those things which are directly against his will it is a great mockery if it be done with knowledge or otherwise a grosse impietie to seeke them from him It is written of Vitellius that one of his friends asking from him a certaine thing which hee refused and being impatient of the refusall did say to him What auaileth thy friendship to me if I cannot obtaine that which I craue returned backe to his friend this answere And what auaileth to mee thy friendship if for thy sake I must doe that which becomes me not If such equitie be in a mortall man that he will not graunt an vnlawfull thing euen to his tender friend how much more are we to thinke that it is in the Lord our God Away therefore with these cursed and abhominable sacrifices as to present vnto the Lord petitions which are not agreeable vnto his holy will And last to conclude this that wee may be encouraged A Christian hath accesse to the priuie chamber of the great king euer when he pleaseth to prayer let vs consider what excellent priuiledge this is that the Christian as oft as hee pleaseth hath libertie to speake vnto the Lord his God The Persians thought it a piece of their silly glory not to graunt accesse easily vnto their subiects yea not to those of most noble ranck therefore yee see how afraid Hester the Queene was to goe in vnto the King vnsent for But the Lord our God King of Kings proclaimes vnto vs free accesse as oft as we are disposed to call vpon him ready at all times to extend the Scepter of his peace toward those who seeke him in spirit and truth Yea though with Dauid thou preuent the morning and rise at midnight to call vpon him thou shalt finde him euen then waiting vpon thee Inuenire potes praeuenire non potes come when thou wilt thou maist finde him but canst